Terms of Reference (TOR)

for
Consultancy Services to Develop a Comprehensive WASH Strategy for the Host and
Impact Community Resilience Activity (HICRA) Project
1. Background: Cox’s Bazar and the Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) districts are among the
lowest ranked in Bangladesh for education and skills training, food security, poverty, and
agricultural productivity, all of which have worsened with the Rohingya refugee influx
ongoing since 2017. In Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban, 37.2 percent and 40.1 percent of
residents live below the poverty line (national average 31.5 percent); stunting rates are
46.6 percent and 47.7 percent (national average 41.2 percent); and literacy rates are 38.2
percent and 32.8 percent (national average 50.5 percent). The refugee crisis has put
enormous pressure on local economies, resulting in lost livelihoods, depressed local
wages, increased food insecurity, and distorted local market systems in host and impacted
communities. There is job growth in tourism, government, and non-governmental projects
and services, but locals do not generally have the skills to qualify for these opportunities.
Agriculture is the primary livelihood for more than 50 percent of Cox’s Bazar residents; the
rate is even higher in the CHT. Access to irrigation, quality inputs, and financial services
are challenges. Weak transportation networks and lack of storage facilities, especially in
the CHT, hinder farmers’ market access and force farmers and traders to sell at cheaper
prices. Gender norms in the CHT, and especially in Cox’s Bazar, limit women’s agency
and their freedom to choose a livelihood and make resource allocation decisions.

To address these complex challenges, Friends in Village Development Bangladesh

(FIVDB) formed a team of local and international technical partners including Christian Aid.
The consortium aims to deliver high impact, locally led solutions by combining the
expertise of international organizations with the insights and networks of local partners.

The USAID Host and Impacted Community Resilience Activity (HICRA) is designed to
deliver transformative change across four critical result areas:
• Result 1 - Income-generating opportunities expanded
• Result 2 - Access to basic WASH services enhanced
• Result 3 - Sustainable natural resources management strengthened
• Result 4 - Ability of host and impacted communities to mitigate, adapt to, and
recover from shocks improved

Christian Aid, as part of the HICRA consortium, is providing technical support to achieve
Result 2: enhancing access to sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services
across 20 upazilas within the districts of Cox's Bazar, Rangamati, Khargachari, and
Bandarban. This initiative focuses on addressing critical gaps in WASH services through
an inclusive, equitable, and comprehensive WASH strategy and guideline development.
Intermediate Results (IRs) and Related Milestones:
• IR 2.1: Increased capacity of local actors to sustainably provide WASH services
o Milestone: 65,000 people with basic sanitation services by 2026 (2025
target: 22,000; 2026 target: 43,000).
• IR 2.2: Increased access to basic drinking water and sanitation services
o Milestone: 65,000 people with basic drinking water services by 2026 (2025
target: 22,500; 2026 target: 42,500).
• IR 2.3: Increased adoption of appropriate hygiene practices
o Milestone: 27,000 adolescent girls and women trained in menstrual
hygiene management (MHM) and linked with hygiene product providers
(2025 target: 12,000; 2026 target: 15,000).
• IR 2.4: Improved waste management
o Milestone: 9,500 households with waste collection services (2025 target:
4,500; 2026 target: 5,000).
o Milestone: 7,500 households with fecal sludge disposal services (2025
target: 1,500; 2026 target: 6,000).

HICRA will develop a WASH strategy and implementation guidelines to achieve the
above WASH results and related milestones in the selected locations. The WASH strategy
and implementation guidelines will establish a comprehensive framework for enhancing
WASH practices within 20 Upazila of Cox's Bazar, Khagrachari, Rangamati, and
Bandarban with priority given to 80 unions where HICRA will implement the ultra-poor
graduation approach. This strategic approach will address critical deficiencies in WASH
services, drawing on the findings from a needs assessment that prioritizes inclusive and
equitable access for all, particularly women, children, people with disabilities, and
marginalized communities in the selected locations.

As part of the WASH strategy and implementation guidelines development, a joint needs
assessment will be conducted to identify the core issues affecting WASH services in target
communities. The findings will guide the design of feasible solutions that consider
technological suitability, sustainability, economic and social viability, and environmental
impact. These solutions will be developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including
community members, government institutions, DPHE, Local Government Engineering
Department (LGED), CHTRC, Hill District Council, Department of Secondary Education,
WATSAN committees, NGOs, traditional leaders and private sector partners.

HICRA’s WASH strategy and implementation guidelines will integrate best practices for
sustainable water management, including requirements from the HICRA’s Initial
Environmental Examination (IEE), Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP),
Climate Risk Management (CRM) plan and Construction Implementation Plan to increase
the resilience and long-term sustainability of WASH interventions. Furthermore, while the
WASH Strategy will focus on the overall types of WASH activities that will be undertaken
and why, along with the selection process, collaboration, and necessary local capacity
building through targeted training for HICRA staff, local service providers (LSPs), and
community members, etc., the implementation guidelines will outline specific
methodologies for the construction/installation, operation and maintenance, and utilization
of WASH facilities, ensuring their accessibility and effective management.
 A set of recommendations consistent with HICRA’s monitoring, evaluation and learning
(MEL) Plan will be embedded within the strategy and guideline to continuously assess and
improve the impact of WASH activities, fostering enhanced health outcomes, reduced
environmental risks, and increased community engagement in hygiene practices.

2. Objectives of the Consultancy Service: The consultancy service aims to develop a

comprehensive WASH strategy and implementation guidelines for the HICRA project,
aligning with its goals to enhance sustainable access to water, sanitation, hygiene, and
waste management services in Cox’s Bazar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The key
objectives include:

1. Conduct a Needs Assessment

a. Identify critical gaps and challenges in WASH services, particularly for women,
children, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities, in the target
areas.
b. Assess technological, environmental, social, cultural, and economic factors
influencing WASH service delivery and practices.
c. Assess the current institutional capacity and budget needs of local water and
sanitation (WATSAN) committees and local government bodies to support
WASH service delivery in the target areas.
d. Facilitate participatory consultations with key stakeholders, including
community members, government bodies (DPHE, LGED, CHTRC), WATSAN
committees, NGOs, and private sector partners to understand needs and
solutions - including any possible collaborative efforts.
e. Ensure stakeholder input is integrated into the strategy and guidelines.
2. Contextualize a Market Development Approach
a. Assess the WASH supply chain, including key actors, service providers, and
financial institutions in the target areas, and their capacity gaps.
b. Identify opportunities to strengthen the market system for WASH services,
ensuring scalability and sustainability.
c. Identify promising public-private WASH service delivery and business models.
d. Develop strategies to enhance market-based solutions that address access,
affordability, and quality of WASH services for specific customer segments..
3. Develop a Comprehensive WASH Strategy
a. Provide a strategic framework for addressing deficiencies in WASH services
across the 20 upazilas selected with a focus on HICRA’s 80 UPG unions
when/where technically feasible/viable and cost effective - and when not,
provide alternative options within the same upazilas.
b. Recommend the most promising WASH and waste-related technologies and
interventions that will enable HICRA to meet its Milestones in the next two
years.
c. Integrate best practices, sustainability principles, and inclusivity into the
strategy.
d. Align with HICRA’s Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), Environmental
Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP), and Climate Risk Management (CRM)
plan.
e. Address climate resilience and environmental sustainability in the strategy and
guidelines.
 f.
Foster local capacity building for the sustainable operation and maintenance of
WASH facilities.
4. Design Detailed Implementation Guidelines
a. Define methodologies and guidelines for Water Safety Plans for the
construction, operation & maintenance, and management of climate-resilient
WASH facilities, including life cycle costs.
b. Ensure guidelines are user-friendly, accessible, appropriate for the local
context, and adaptable when required.
5. Develop Recommendations for the WASH-related HICRA MEL Framework
a. Propose additional indicators and tools to monitor and evaluate WASH
interventions.
b. Ensure recommendations align with HICRA’s MEL Plan to measure progress
and impact.

The consultancy will deliver outputs aligned with HICRA's goal of improving health,
reducing environmental risks, and enhancing community engagement, with a focus on
climate resilience, sustainability, and capacity building for WASH facilities.

3. Scope of Work:
a) Review previous assessments, studies, strategies and secondary data: Previous
studies, assessments, and strategies will be reviewed to identify available resources,
best practices, lessons learned, and available tools and guidance. These data include
an inventory of the type, location, coverage and functionality of water supply and
sanitation systems; water treatment assets; uptake of proper WASH-related hygiene
practices; viability of re-usable sanitary napkin use & maintenance and market
linkages; and solid waste management practices. Data on physical characteristics will
include topography, land use, roads, ground contour, and water resources, among
others. Socioeconomic data will include population density, population trends, the
location of slums, existing development plans and zoning resolutions. Data on social
and cultural barriers and opportunities, as well as market systems, for scaling WASH
services will also be addressed.
b) Primary data collection: Where data are insufficient, the consultants will conduct a
survey focused on water use, water sources, hygiene management, menstrual hygiene
management (MHM), water quantity and quality, land level (as required), etc. to
determine current conditions for WASH and water resource management, as well as
on solid waste and fecal sludge management. To assess groundwater/surface water
sources, geological investigation will be carried out where necessary.
c) Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Waste Management Demand Assessment &
Source Identification: Based on the population projection of the target locations,
water, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management demand need to be assessed for
achievement of proposed WASH interventions. The assessment shall include daily and
seasonal variation of water demand. The study will review the water demand by
households, commercial, and other entities. Identification and assessment of probable
sources for water supply including groundwater, rivers, springs, lakes, and other
surface water bodies. The consultants shall use standard methods of identifying water
 d) sources of surface water, groundwater, rainfall runoff, and probable other alternative
and/or combined sources of water.
e) Study of water treatment requirement: Based on findings from water quality
analyses, the water treatment process and mandatory parameters for regular tests will
be selected for different water sources for the target communities. The suitability of
different water treatment technologies in terms of technical feasibility, costs, and ease
of operation and maintenance will be assessed.
f) Transmission and distribution system: Water transmission and distribution
networks need to be assessed in terms of technical and socioeconomic feasibility and
ease of operation & maintenance.
g) Mapping: Prepare a digital map of the assessment results using geographic
information system (GIS) and provide all related data for incorporation in HICRA’s
system. The GIS-based digital map has to show physical, social, infrastructure,
administrative features of the project area and also various model results.
h) Design, drawings and estimates: Conceptional designs, drawings and tentative cost
estimates need to be prepared of technically feasible & optimum options for HICRA
WASH interventions considering the availability of surface, ground and rain-fed water
sources.
i) Workshop: A workshop will be conducted to disseminate study findings among the
members of the HICRA technical committee.

4. Deliverables:
1. Inception Report: The consultancy will deliver an inception report detailing the
proposed methodology
2. , tools, and timelines, along with outputs aligned with HICRA's WASH goal and
milestones.
3. Needs Assessment and Stakeholder Engagement Report: A comprehensive report
identifying critical WASH service gaps, challenges, and key influencing factors (e.g.,
technological, environmental, social, cultural, economic) for vulnerable populations.
This will include documentation of stakeholder consultations and how input has been
integrated into the WASH strategy.
4. Market Development and WASH Supply Chain Analysis: A detailed analysis of the
essential WASH products and services supply chain, including actors, service
providers, and financial institutions. This will also include strategies for strengthening
the market system to ensure sustainable, scalable WASH products and services. The
analysis will consider the HICRA Private Sector Engagement Strategy.
5. Comprehensive WASH Strategy and Implementation Guidelines: A strategic
framework to address WASH service deficiencies across 80 unions and 20 upazilas,
incorporating sustainability, best practices, and inclusivity. User-friendly, context-
specific implementation guidelines for implementing the strategy including details on
prioritization of interventions and locations, site selection and types of WASH
interventions, collaboration and related partners for leveraging resources and
increasing impacts, and processes involved in constructing, operating, and managing
WASH facilities.
6. MEL Framework and Monitoring Tools: Proposed indicators, tools, and
methodologies to monitor and evaluate WASH interventions, ensuring alignment with
HICRA’s MEL Plan to track progress, outcomes, and impact.
 7. GIS-Based Mapping and Design Reports: A digital map showing physical, social,
infrastructure, and administrative features of the project area, including model results.
This will be accompanied by conceptual designs, tentative cost estimates, BoQ, and a
feasibility analysis for optimal WASH interventions.
8. Workshop Summary Report: A summary report from the workshop conducted to
disseminate study findings among the HICRA technical committee, including a copy of
the presentation, key discussion points and recommendations for the next steps.

5. Responsibilities:
a. Christian Aid’s Responsibility: Christian Aid will provide essential support services to
the consultancy firm/consultant(s) to ensure the successful completion of the assignment
within the stipulated timeframe. These support services include:
o Facilitating communication with relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries to gather
necessary data and information for the consultancy.
o Providing HICRA background information and any past data relevant to the
assignment.
o Facilitating workshops with different levels of stakeholders and technical committees
for sharing assessment findings and recommendations for necessary validation.
o Appointing a Christian Aid focal person who will work closely with the consultant team,
offering support and ensuring smooth coordination throughout the assignment.
b. Consultant’s responsibility: The consultants are expected to carry out the services
outlined in the "Scope of Work" under the guidance of the Christian Aid focal point. Their
specific responsibilities include:
o Organizing and conducting necessary site investigations and data collection required
for the study, ensuring accurate and thorough information is gathered.
o Performing all tasks in accordance with the Scope of Work, ensuring quality and timely
completion of deliverables.
o The consulting firm will be held accountable for any faults or delays during the
project period. If such faults occur, an arbitrator will determine the level of
liability based on the consequences of the fault and the firm’s responsibility.

6. Team composition: The proposed team should have a broad array of expertise for effective
implementation of this consultancy. The Lead Consultant must possess a minimum of 15 years of
experience in water resources or rural water supply planning and management, with hands-on
experience in project development, management, and execution. The consultant should have
served as Team Leader or Deputy Team Leader for at least two similar projects and have 10 years
of experience with water resource assessments, modeling, and hydraulics using tools like EPANET,
Water Gems, or InfoWater. Furthermore, the Lead Consultant should have 5 years of experience in
designing and implementing water supply, sanitation, and fecal sludge management projects in
Cox's Bazar and hill tract regions. The team should have at least 10 years of experience in water
resources management, EIA studies, EMMP, and CRM, with additional experience in conducting
Initial Environmental Examinations (IEE) and large-scale water resource assessments considered
an advantage. The team must also collectively have 10 years of experience in designing hydraulic
infrastructure, water transmission systems, waste management systems, and sanitation solutions.
Additionally, experts in water demand assessment, supply chain assessment, GIS mapping, market
systems, and socio-economic analysis should be included as per the scope of work.

7. Evaluation criteria and basis of award: Christian Aid will evaluate proposals based on the
following criteria to identify the most qualified and capable consultant or firm for the assignment.
The evaluation process will focus on technical merit, experience, and cost-effectiveness, ensuring
the best value for money while maintaining high-quality outcomes.
 Criteria Sub-Criteria Points Key Considerations
Allocation
1. Technical Evaluation 70 Points
1.1 Clarity in interpreting the 15 How well the consultant grasps the
Understanding TOR and objectives assignment's goals and objectives.
of the Alignment of proposal with Ensuring the proposal meets the
Assignment WASH strategy goals WASH strategy’s intended outcomes.
Innovative and realistic Novel, practical solutions to the
solutions to challenges identified challenges.
1.2 Feasibility and relevance of 25 Appropriateness of the approach to
Methodology methodology meet objectives and address
and Approach challenges.
Participatory, inclusive, and Integration of gender-sensitive,
gender-sensitive inclusive approaches in methodology.
approaches
Use of appropriate tools Selection and application of suitable
and technologies (e.g., tools (GIS, data analysis).
GIS, data collection)
Integration of cross-cutting How well the proposal incorporates
themes (climate resilience, climate resilience and social inclusion.
inclusion)
1.3 Work Plan Realistic and well- 15 Clear, actionable timeline with
and structured work plan milestones.
Deliverables Coherence between Consistency and alignment of
methodology and deliverables with methodology.
deliverables
Flexibility for adaptive Ability to adapt based on input and
learning and stakeholder learning throughout the project.
input
1.4 Team Qualifications and 15 Expertise and qualifications of key
Composition experience of the lead team members, including the lead
and Expertise consultant and team consultant.
members
Evidence of expertise in Track record in WASH strategy
WASH strategy development, participatory methods,
development and and cross-sectoral integration.
integration
Inclusion of local expertise Consideration of local context and
and regional knowledge inclusion of experts familiar with the
area (e.g., Cox's Bazar).
2. Past Performance and Relevant 20 Points
Experience
2.1 Relevant WASH strategy 15 Experience in similar WASH strategy
Project development experience in development projects and geographic
Experience similar contexts contexts.
Expertise in needs Proven experience in conducting
assessments, stakeholder assessments and engaging
engagement, and policy stakeholders effectively.
Integration of gender and Demonstrated ability to integrate
climate resilience into gender and climate resilience factors
strategies into strategies.
 Criteria Sub-Criteria Points Key Considerations
Allocation
2.2 Positive references from 5 Strong client feedback and references
References past clients indicating successful past projects.
and Case
Studies
Submission of case studies Examples of similar projects and case
or prior work samples studies to showcase past work.
3. Financial Proposal 10 Points
3.1 Budget Alignment with proposed 5 Budget should align well with proposed
Alignment activities and deliverables activities and expected deliverables,
ensuring a clear connection between
costs and tasks.
Realistic allocation of Appropriateness of resource allocation
resources (personnel, (e.g., time, travel, data collection).
travel, etc.)
3.2 Cost- Competitive pricing 5 Comparisons with other proposals
Effectiveness compared to other regarding pricing and overall value.
proposals
Justifications for major cost Clear justifications for cost
components breakdowns, ensuring transparency
and reasonable costs.

8. Mode of Payment: The payment will be made in four instalments.

Deliverables Payment
SL
01 Upon submission and acceptance of a) Inception Report 20%
02 Upon submission and acceptance of b) Needs Assessment and Stakeholder 20%
Engagement Report, and c) Market Development and WASH Supply Chain
Analysis Report
03 Upon submission and acceptance of d) Comprehensive WASH Strategy and 30%
Implementation Guidelines, e) MEL Framework and Monitoring Tools, and f) GIS-
Based Mapping and Design Reports
04 Upon submission and acceptance of g) Workshop Summary Report and Final 30%
Report

9. Contract Duration

January 01, 2025, to March 15, 2025

10. How to Apply

The proposal should be submitted in two separate files: the technical proposal and the
financial proposal.
• The technical proposal should not exceed 20 pages and must include the following:
• A detailed methodology for the study, including the sampling strategy, sample size,
data quality assurance procedures, and ethical considerations.
• A comprehensive timeframe, outlining dates for submitting the first draft, reviewing and
incorporating feedback, and finalizing each deliverable.
• An account of the firm’s experience in conducting similar studies.
• Proposed personnel and their short profile
• A sample of relevant projects completed by the firm, demonstrating experience
applicable to the study.
• Contact details of two organizations (name, address, and contact person) for reference
purposes.
• A copy of the firm’s TIN certificate, tax return, 13-digit BIN, and updated trade license.
• The financial proposal should clearly identify a detailed, itemized breakdown of costs
for the assignment. The financial proposal must be consistent with the technical
proposal.